Inside a western hat shop

[WEEGEE]

GREAT SHOP

I was just wondering as to the collection of blocks...acquired over time or

timely acquired?

Art Fawcett had said in another post to the real henry that a proper shop

would cost somewhere in the range of $300K to set up.

Its a beautiful shop...i would love to know more on what goes into the equipment and set ups in a future post from the experts.

Thanks

:cheers1:

 

[Brad Bowers]

John, thanks for the glimpses of your shop. Very neat and organized, and well-stocked! I'm going to have to find time to run up and visit before I leave Utah.

Brad

 

[Kaleponi Craig]

Fedora or Panama styles?

John, I saw that you have some fedora style blocks in your shop, but no pictures of fedoras or Panamas in your gallery. Can you post some pictures of your fedoras? There may be some interest here in the Lounge.

Regards, Kaleponi Craig

 

[Mr. 'H']

That is a very well laid out and informative web site, John.

It's lovely to see all the old tools and machines.

It amazing how many formillions and conformateurs you have considering how rare and expensive they are.

Best of luck.

I also wonder what percentage of your business is occupied with fedora dress hats? Please let us know.

Mr. 'H'.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Thank you for showing us the shop Gents. Interesting setup and the number of blocked hats waiting for finishing tells me alot about your quality and reputation.
Bravo!!!

 

[mthatter]

erased by mt

 

[Russ]

Nice fedora

Still, this fedora photo on your web site looks wonderful

Do you recall what was the crown height and brim size of this one? Any other details? Just curious since I still have a little drool left in me.

 

[mthatter]

erased by mt

 

[fedoralover]

Heck, it's only $600,000, probably a few here on the lounge will jump on it and give Art some competition.

John, the ad says he has won several awards for being the best hatter, was he really that good and if so what made his work stand out from other hatters?

fedoralover

 

[WEEGEE]

$600,000

John,


Thanks for the info....not a bad investment on a new career.

whats a fast food franchise cost?

 

[mthatter]

erased by mt

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Master my ...

Thank you John,
This has to be one of the most honest post I've ever read about hatters. :cheers1:

PHD. stands for "Piled Higher and Drier"

 

[Fedora]

I still have not run across what I would call a Master Hatter. Some folks are better than others at marketing themselves while most of us just keep working away and prefer a lower profile.

I think a master hatter is a guy who can take a beaver pelt and a bowie knife and create a hat that was perfect, in all areas. I do not know any of those, so I guess if you call yourself one, it must be true. Right? That is, I say so, so it must be true? What cracks me up is an old book that I have on hatmaking, and it covers the blocking and flanging, and using the different curling tools, but when it comes to installing the leather, liner and hatband, it says to hire a woman to do it, or outsource the sewing!! To me, finishing the hat up with leather, band and liner is the hard part!! I really think a monkey could make a hat, if you gave him the equipment, and showed him how to do it. It ain't rocket science, but some would have you think it was full of secrets and hidden techniques. To me, this hype is nothing more than what we find in our pastures around here. And to me personally, it stinks just as bad, if not worse. But heck, I just make em, so I could be wrong. This is not to say that hatting is not a craft, it is, but coming from the cabinetry field, I can tell you, there is alot more skill involved in making a nice cabinet, than making a nice hat. More profit in hats though. And I do not see that as a bad thing. Fedora

 

[Biltmore Bob]

I love a humble artisan...

...be it the Butcher, the Baker, or the Candlestick Maker. Good works and happy customers speak for themselves. A little advertising don't hurt either.

Can I get a witness?

 

[mthatter]

erased by mt

 

[tonyb]

Fedora and Montana, I just loves you guys. A monkey could do what I do, too. I know 'cuz I've worked with several. It's enough to make me consider elected office.

 

[fedoralover]

A monkey?? I don't think so!!

Well, most of the time I think along the same lines as Fedora, but this time I have to disagree. Steve (Fedora) is being modest in his assessment of his work. Cabinet making may be harder than making a great hat, but that doesn't mean making a good fedora is easy. The Devils in the details as the saying goes and I've seen the details on new fedora's and they aren't even close to being what I've seen from Steve and Art.

Attention to detail is what makes a hatter great in my opinion. Sure anyone can throw one together and maybe someone 30 feet away traveling 30 miles an hour wouldn't know the difference (what I call the 30/30 rule). But the person wearing it will. Especially the hataholics here on the lounge and even more so of the Indy crowd. So don't down play your work Steve, it takes an artist to make a custom fedora not a monkey.

fedoralover

 

[Sardou]

Fedora and Montana, I just loves you guys. A monkey could do what I do, too. I know 'cuz I've worked with several. It's enough to make me consider elected office.

Not the greatest choice if you already know you can't handle monkeys. Every time I see a Congressional hearing on TV, I'm reminded of "Walking with Dinosaurs" --- you know, the scenes where powerful beasts with small brains stomp and storm all over the place before tearing more highly evolved animals into little pieces.

At least in the old days, Congress was reasonably well-hatted.

Sardou

 

[Art Fawcett]

thanks for the posts both John & Fedora.. both are honest and both go at the heart of it, just in different ways.
Early in my Masonry career I had a photographer start coming to my jobs to take pics which she intern sold to magazines, but I got copies without having to pay for them. This way , I was able to put a portfolio together to show people when they asked. Well, my Dad saw it and being the "old school" Mason that he was, went balistic. "Who the h**l do you think you are? Let you WORK speak for you!!"
You know..he was right. I put the book aside and when asked about my work I would respond something like.."If I had built the Taj Mahal but screwed up you job, wouldn't I still be a bum in your eyes?
Same goes for the hatting biz...BTW, I like your definition better John

 

[jpdesign]

I tried to look up more about D bar J but couldn't find much except the SASS talking aboutthem, and it was about them not being around and the shop being shut down. I would give buying the shop considerable thought, if I could find more info. Does anyone have any?

Jimmy